JohnnyQuest
New Member
New member trying to become more educated here since the doctors, including an endo and a uro, don't seem to have the answers to the questions I'm asking. I'm hoping the smart people on this forum who have been dealing with similar issues can help.
My background - I'm a 50 year old male, about 5-9 and 260. I have gained about 45 lbs in the last 10 years, and I don't know why. I know I don't get as much exercise as I should, but I do push mow a half acre lawn twice a week, edge it, and so on along with other yard work of pulling weeds, so I'm not completely without exercise. My doctor has been telling me the usual, watch what you eat, exercise more, and lose weight. However, I've been telling him I don't have any great energy when I get home from work. assumed this is because I don't sleep well. I do get up a couple of times at night to urinate, but i have no prostate issues, my doctor checks it annually - last result was 0.605 on a range <2.000 NG/ML.
Last fall, I asked my doctor to check my vitamin D since my wife learned hers was low. Turns out, it came back low (little did I know HOW low until I started researching Low T later), at 22 on a scale of 32-100 ng/ml. My doctor didn't seem alarmed and just said to take a supplement.
In December of 2013, I saw commercials on TV for Low T, and that it can cause lack of energy, etc. so I asked my doctor to check my T level. It came back at 221, which he said he did not believe, so we check it again in January 13, 2014 and it was even lower, at 163. LH was 7.3 on scale 1.7-8.6 MIU/ML, FSH was 7.2 on a range 1.5-12.4 MIU/ML.
He said "you have Low T and we need to treat it", so he gave me a 100 unit shot of depo-testostorone January 14. I told him a week later I didn't feel much effect, so we did 200 unit shot on Jan 28th. He re-did the T level test Jan 28th and it was 179, with free at 4.80.
My wife kept asking why, what was the root cause? The only thing I could think of was perhaps Crestor, which I had gone on for my high cholesterol. I asked to be sent to an Endocrinogist for more info, which the earliest availability end of March. So my doctor and I agreed to go off of Crestor and HRT until that visit and see what happens. The results came back from a March 28th test with T at 214, and free at 4.58, so it appeared to be going up. The endo also tested SHBG, and it came back at 19.5 on a scale of 19.3-76.4 nmol/L. DHEA-S came back at 170.5 on a range of 71.6-375.4 ug/dl.
The endo said my triglyceride levels have gone up to 252, so the endo recommended going on Tricor, which I am on now. He also put me on 50,000 units (don't know which) of Vitamin D once a week for 3 months to fix my low Vitamin D levels. He recommended shots or Testim.
However, I read about Testopel and thought maybe that would be an answer, so I met with a urologist since they're the only ones that seem to do that. However, when I asked him about HCG, zinc, estradiol, etc., he said "you have low T and need to treat it, I don't deal with the rest". I however don't want to sub-optimize my body, I want someone that knows and can help me with all of it, so I left that meeting and won't see him ever again.
Right now, I'm using Androgel 1.62 at 4 pumps per day, and I'm scheduled to meet with the Endo in late September, along with my regular doctor to re-check my levels. In the meantime, I ordered the micronutrient test from Spectracell to see what else may be a problem.
I have been looking into BHRT, but none of the doctors in VA that I can find that deal with it seem credible. I talked with someone who spoke with Dr Krup from Rejuvinage (www.rejuvinage.com) in VA Beach with my test results, but they said that since I had high blood pressure (which I take hydrochlorothiazide for), have high cholesterol and Low T, they will not treat me. What???? I thought that's what they are in the market for?
I did find one in Hampton Roads at a place called Synergy in Chesapeake (www.snyergy.com) that I am scheduled to visit late next month, but since they mostly deal with women, I'm not sure about what I will learn there either.
I have read about Alpha Male Medical Institute in Ohio with Dr. Rob Kominiarek, and my wife's parents live about 3 hours away from it, so I could consider going there.
What I really want is someone who can answer my questions and take a holistic approach. Questions like:
1. Should I be on HCG?? Otherwise, won't I be adversely impacted by a drop in pregnenolone?
2. Any chance I have Hypometabolism? My temperature is always hovering around 97.1, 97.3, etc. when I go to the doctor, and I read the following:
A body temperature pattern that averages consistently below normal is more than enough to explain the complaints and symptoms of MED, and Wilson's Temperature Syndrome should be one of, if not the first, possible causes considered.
http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/ebook/what-is-wilsons-temperature-syndrome/
3. Estradiol: My estradiol is 33, and although it is within the test limit shown, I have read anything over 30 is not good. More importantly, my testosterone / estradiol ratio is nowhere near 30 or 40-1. If we average my testosterone at 200, 200 / 33 = 6.
Also, in TRT, as T goes up, won't estradiol go up also? Do I need an aromatase inhibitor? Anastro-Pro?
4. What statin do I need? Simvastatin? Dr. Dan Purser, author of Improving Male Sexuality, Fertility and Testosterone recommends that. However, Dr. Crisler recommends Crestor.
5. Is it possible, that after correcting hormone deficiencies and then hopefully achieving some weight loss, T levels might be sustainable without TRT?
I know I posted a lot of info, but I'm hopeful I have given enough info that someone can offer guidance about what doctors I should consider.
GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE, and thank you Nelson for such a wonderful resource.
My background - I'm a 50 year old male, about 5-9 and 260. I have gained about 45 lbs in the last 10 years, and I don't know why. I know I don't get as much exercise as I should, but I do push mow a half acre lawn twice a week, edge it, and so on along with other yard work of pulling weeds, so I'm not completely without exercise. My doctor has been telling me the usual, watch what you eat, exercise more, and lose weight. However, I've been telling him I don't have any great energy when I get home from work. assumed this is because I don't sleep well. I do get up a couple of times at night to urinate, but i have no prostate issues, my doctor checks it annually - last result was 0.605 on a range <2.000 NG/ML.
Last fall, I asked my doctor to check my vitamin D since my wife learned hers was low. Turns out, it came back low (little did I know HOW low until I started researching Low T later), at 22 on a scale of 32-100 ng/ml. My doctor didn't seem alarmed and just said to take a supplement.
In December of 2013, I saw commercials on TV for Low T, and that it can cause lack of energy, etc. so I asked my doctor to check my T level. It came back at 221, which he said he did not believe, so we check it again in January 13, 2014 and it was even lower, at 163. LH was 7.3 on scale 1.7-8.6 MIU/ML, FSH was 7.2 on a range 1.5-12.4 MIU/ML.
He said "you have Low T and we need to treat it", so he gave me a 100 unit shot of depo-testostorone January 14. I told him a week later I didn't feel much effect, so we did 200 unit shot on Jan 28th. He re-did the T level test Jan 28th and it was 179, with free at 4.80.
My wife kept asking why, what was the root cause? The only thing I could think of was perhaps Crestor, which I had gone on for my high cholesterol. I asked to be sent to an Endocrinogist for more info, which the earliest availability end of March. So my doctor and I agreed to go off of Crestor and HRT until that visit and see what happens. The results came back from a March 28th test with T at 214, and free at 4.58, so it appeared to be going up. The endo also tested SHBG, and it came back at 19.5 on a scale of 19.3-76.4 nmol/L. DHEA-S came back at 170.5 on a range of 71.6-375.4 ug/dl.
The endo said my triglyceride levels have gone up to 252, so the endo recommended going on Tricor, which I am on now. He also put me on 50,000 units (don't know which) of Vitamin D once a week for 3 months to fix my low Vitamin D levels. He recommended shots or Testim.
However, I read about Testopel and thought maybe that would be an answer, so I met with a urologist since they're the only ones that seem to do that. However, when I asked him about HCG, zinc, estradiol, etc., he said "you have low T and need to treat it, I don't deal with the rest". I however don't want to sub-optimize my body, I want someone that knows and can help me with all of it, so I left that meeting and won't see him ever again.
Right now, I'm using Androgel 1.62 at 4 pumps per day, and I'm scheduled to meet with the Endo in late September, along with my regular doctor to re-check my levels. In the meantime, I ordered the micronutrient test from Spectracell to see what else may be a problem.
I have been looking into BHRT, but none of the doctors in VA that I can find that deal with it seem credible. I talked with someone who spoke with Dr Krup from Rejuvinage (www.rejuvinage.com) in VA Beach with my test results, but they said that since I had high blood pressure (which I take hydrochlorothiazide for), have high cholesterol and Low T, they will not treat me. What???? I thought that's what they are in the market for?
I did find one in Hampton Roads at a place called Synergy in Chesapeake (www.snyergy.com) that I am scheduled to visit late next month, but since they mostly deal with women, I'm not sure about what I will learn there either.
I have read about Alpha Male Medical Institute in Ohio with Dr. Rob Kominiarek, and my wife's parents live about 3 hours away from it, so I could consider going there.
What I really want is someone who can answer my questions and take a holistic approach. Questions like:
1. Should I be on HCG?? Otherwise, won't I be adversely impacted by a drop in pregnenolone?
2. Any chance I have Hypometabolism? My temperature is always hovering around 97.1, 97.3, etc. when I go to the doctor, and I read the following:
A body temperature pattern that averages consistently below normal is more than enough to explain the complaints and symptoms of MED, and Wilson's Temperature Syndrome should be one of, if not the first, possible causes considered.
http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/ebook/what-is-wilsons-temperature-syndrome/
3. Estradiol: My estradiol is 33, and although it is within the test limit shown, I have read anything over 30 is not good. More importantly, my testosterone / estradiol ratio is nowhere near 30 or 40-1. If we average my testosterone at 200, 200 / 33 = 6.
Also, in TRT, as T goes up, won't estradiol go up also? Do I need an aromatase inhibitor? Anastro-Pro?
4. What statin do I need? Simvastatin? Dr. Dan Purser, author of Improving Male Sexuality, Fertility and Testosterone recommends that. However, Dr. Crisler recommends Crestor.
5. Is it possible, that after correcting hormone deficiencies and then hopefully achieving some weight loss, T levels might be sustainable without TRT?
I know I posted a lot of info, but I'm hopeful I have given enough info that someone can offer guidance about what doctors I should consider.
GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE, and thank you Nelson for such a wonderful resource.
Last edited:
